7th Year and Beyond
by CSIwildchild
Summary: Lily's life took a sudden turn at the end of her seventh year at Hogwarts. What happened to the lively young girl and what's the secret that caused her to leave home for three years?
1. Chapter 1

The air was cool and crisp and a light wind rustled the leaves that were spread about the campus. Splashes of red and gold decorated the almost barren trees and the grass had long lost the green in its blades. The tree Lily Evans took residence under was no different than the ones she saw spread out before her. Their reflection rippled in the lake as a breeze ghosted over its surface. She focused on her distorted reflection while contemplating the events of the day.

Her personal alarm clock, Annie Pratt, shook her awake and the two idly chatted as they prepared for the next day of school. The brunette brushed her hair back into a low ponytail and slipped on her glasses as she waited for the slow rising red head to dress and ready herself. The two soon left the dormitory in search for their companions in the Great Hall.

The girls entered the dining room to find a tense atmosphere instead of the usual camaraderie present between their classmates. Silently, the two girls placed themselves with the marauders. The boys gave either a wave or a slight nod in acknowledgment of their presence. Annie and Lily exchanged a look. "What's with all the silence this morning, boys? Everything alright? Sirius, you're usually annoying the hell out of me by now and I'm shocked to hear myself say I'm kind of worried that you're, well, quiet." Sirius ignored Annie's attempt at humor and handed her a copy of the Daily Prophet.

"What's this?" Lily asked.

James answered by saying, "Two more muggles were killed last night." Annie and Lily traded nervous glances with one another. Both were muggle-born and the news didn't settle well with the two.

"It's horrible. Absolutely horrible. Is something not being done to stop this 'Voldemort'?" Lily received dirty looks from a few students who heard her speak the name.

James Potter sent a look their way before draping his arm across Lily's shoulders. "There's not much they can do, I don't think. My parents haven't said much, but I know that the ministry is starting to assemble the aurors. A war is headed our way is my guess."

Lily nodded her head, but for some reason couldn't shake the feeling that there was something missing. It didn't add up. Lily reread the article before deciding she was simply nervous about a History of Magic test later that day. That feeling didn't leave her though even as she finished classes that afternoon. James constantly told her she just needed a good night's sleep and Annie wholeheartedly agreed. "James is right, Lily. You were just up late last night studying."

The day wore on and by dinner time the sick feeling had been turned up notch. Worried now, James watched as McGonagall approached their bench. "Ms. Evans, would you be so kind as you follow me?" Remus made eye contact with Lily and raised his brow. The girl gave a shrug and followed the professor out the doors of the Great Hall.

Lily followed her head of house to Dumbledore's office where she waited patiently outside the door as her two elders spoke. After a short wait, the door opened and McGonagall exited the office. Lily jumped in her seat as the door closed with a click. Professor Dumbledore shared no words, but handed her an envelope with her name neatly printed on the front.

Lily wasted no time in ripping open the envelope and unfolded the parchment inside. A short and sterile note was all she found.

Miss Margaret Lillian Evans,

At a quarter past nine last night, Mrs. Laura Robin Evans and Mr. William Harold Evans were found murdered. We are trying our best to bring justice to your family's deaths. At the time we know nothing of the events that occurred within you home last night other than they were taken by the hands of Death Eaters. We at the ministry send our condolences to you during this time.

Signed,

Gerald Figman, Auror, 1st class

Lily looked from the parchment to Dumbledore and back down to the formal script she held in her hands. "I have arranged for you to return home for a few days, if that is what you wish." Dumbledore received only a small nod before the broken young girl asked for his permission to be excused from the office. With a gentle smile Dumbledore watched as Lily Evans left his office for the final time during her stay at Hogwarts.

Time passed and Lily found herself under an all too familiar beech tree. There was not but a sliver of the sun left in the sky which made the fall scenery glow before her eyes. Those eyes watched as clouds rolled in from behind the castle and hid the early evening sky. Leaves crunched and a body lowered itself gently beside Lily. Without question she knew who the figure was; she leaned her head into the crook of James neck. Sure enough, James pulled her exhausted form into his chest and kissed the crown of her head. For the first time that night, Lily let herself release the tears she didn't know she'd been holding in.

Once her tears subsided, it was completely dark. When James looked down he found that Lily was sound asleep. "You just have to make things difficult, don't you?" Shaking his head at himself, James stood up with Lily in his arms and made the trek back to Gryffindor tower.


	2. Chapter 2

She remembered that day crystal clear; the article in the paper, the sick feeling, the letter, and then falling asleep in his arms beside the lake. Shaking her head lightly, she returned to the task of removing her small suitcase from the luggage rack on the Hogwarts Express. The train rolled to a sound stop releasing one last puff of steam. Passengers filed off the cars one by one, some more quickly than others. This particular passenger took her time in exiting the train. She paused at first contact with the concrete platform and closed her eyes. Sounds and smells invaded her senses bringing with them flashes of years past. Memories of school, friends, and relationships floated through her memory. Some more welcome than others, like those of friends. Honestly, who fondly remembers studying for NEWTS?

Her eyes reopened and almost immediately fell upon a familiar stranger casually lounging against a light washed stone wall. The new arrival made her way over to the shadowy figure; meanwhile brushing a stray lock of auburn hair over her shoulder. As she neared the man the young woman pondered out loud, "Sometimes I wonder why, but damn have I missed you, you old mutt."

The head of black tresses snapped up and the playful mouth curled into a smirk, "Bloody hell, Evans! Look at you!" Within the blink of an eye Lily Evans saw nothing but the fabric of Sirius Black's shirt close up and personal as she received a forceful hug from her school companion.

Sirius eventually relinquished his death grip on Lily and lifted her suitcase. "Follow me; we're going to be meeting everyone at the Three Broomsticks."

"How did you get so lucky as to receive the honor of meeting me here?"

"You call this lucky? I drew the short straw." For that comment Lily lightly punched Sirius in the arm and the two continued.

After a few minutes of a comfortable silence Sirius spoke, "Y'know it's been awful while you've been away."

Lily raised her eyebrow in curiosity, "Why's that?"

"Do you really have to ask? He's missed you Lily." A brief pause, "And he's let me know that every single waking minute it seems." With that confession Lily felt a wave of nausea pass over her. She slowed her pace to allow the nausea to settle, but her mind went into overdrive. James. She hadn't entirely forgotten him. Heavens no, she never spent a moment of her day where he didn't occupy her thoughts. No matter what she was doing James always seemed to be present at least in the back of her mind.

Without her knowing, Lily bit her lip and her cheeks flushed. She nervously wrapped a strand of hair around her right index finger as she processed the oncoming reunion. Sirius observed her reaction and draped his free arm over her shoulder. "You haven't changed a bit old girl," he chuckled. "Not one bit." Once again the quizzical eyebrow rose and returned to its former position as its owner shook her head taking the comment as simply another quirky comment from Sirius.

By this time the two had reached the Three Broomsticks and the butterflies had returned to her stomach. Her feet felt like lead as she crossed the threshold into what was now her old friend Rosmerta's domain.

A small group of people were gathered in the corner of the pub chatting and laughing like old friends do. Lily's gaze passed from face to face as she reacquainted herself with each individual mentally. There was Remus. A young man still, only with slightly more lines on his handsome face than she previously remembered. His calm and cool exterior was still in place and left her with a new sense of comfort as she concluded that good old Remus hadn't changed much in the past few years. Her sight shifted to Peter. The poor boy was still watery eyed and round, but she wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Peter was always one of the kindest of the marauders in school even though he was slightly annoying at times. Lily smiled a slight smile and found that she truly was glad to see him again. She continued on to scan the last face in the trio. Annie, Annie Pratt. Her best friend of all time and she looked completely different. Not in appearance, but in the manner in which she presented herself. Lily saw a new found confidence in her friend and a new sparkle in her eye that Lily had yet to see there before. Annie had a healthy glow to her features and the sight made Lily beam herself. The elation she felt that her friends all seemed to be well soon left as she realized that there was no one else at the table. Her heart fell as she realized that James wasn't present and turned to Sirius to ask where he was. Before she could even form the question in her mind, a loud shriek came from the direction of the small group.

"Lily! Oh good God! It's been so long!" For the second time that day, Lily experienced another bone crushing hug.

"Hey, watch the goods now love. I'd like to know I got a hug in before you broke her," came a voice somewhere beyond the brown hair in her eyes.

Annie moved only to hold Lily at arms length, "Oh shut it you twat! Lily, ignore Remus he's become quite the bully in his old age." Lily let out a genuine laugh before responding, "Yes, that's quite believable. Remus as a bully; I'm not surprised at all!" Lily reached for Remus and shared a warm, but not so painful hug with her dear friend. As she broke apart from Remus, the barmaid, Rosmerta, appeared with a tray full of fresh tankards of butterbeer for the table. The group quickly assembled around the table with Sirius to Lily's right and Annie to her left, Remus and Peter directly across the round table leaving an empty seat for Rosmerta between Remus and Sirius. "So dear, where have you been all this time?"

Lily turned to Rosmerta and replied, "It's more like where haven't I been. I've been on the move a lot for past three years. I haven't stayed in one place too long."

Annie grasped Lily's forearm in excitement, "Oh! Really? I've always wanted to see the world, what's it like Lily?"

"Well, from what I saw of it, not very pleasant."

"What do you mean by 'what I saw of it'?" Sirius inquired.

Simultaneously Remus asked, "What have you been doing?" Waves of emotions overcame Lily as she thought back to her recent past.

"It's difficult for me to say, but if you can get me another butterbear," she nodded to Rosmerta. Immediately the barista went to get new drinks for the whole lot.

At her return Rosmerta announced, "It's on the house, everyone." Sirius' eyes glinted in the candlelight and immediately Rosmerta spoke up, "Don't even think about it Black. This is a special occasion. Lily's back in town." Sirius grunted and motioned for Lily to pick up the story.

Lily took a nervous sip from her mug as she thought back to the same memory she relived on the train. "Well, it all started when Voldemort murdered my parents." Peter flinched at the name, but it went unnoticed by the group.

Remus always the intelligent one spoke up, "Yes, I assumed that much. You didn't come back to school once you left for the funeral. We all knew something wasn't right when Dumbledore told us you weren't coming back." The others nodded in agreement and waited in silence for Lily to speak.

Lily had prepared herself for this moment, a moment she had always dreamed of having, but at this moment in time she felt unprepared. How does one explain a situation such as hers? How do you tell your dearest friends the fact that your life has changed? Your life has changed beyond recognition and you spent years figuring out how to live with it. Lily braced herself and decided to simply tell the truth. With one last sip of the warm, frothy liquid, Lily folded her hands and began to tell her tale.


End file.
